How to cope

How should women who are worried about weight gain try and redress the balance?

One things's for sure, you need to control your weight when you're weaning yourself off cigarettes. Weight gain is a common reason for starting up again. And also, excess weight gain can cause cardio-vascular problems, so you need to be careful.

In order to quit successfully without gaining weight, you need to prepare yourself to be hungrier and more tempted by sugary foods. So right from the first day you stop, you need to give yourself strict guidelines: three proper filling meals a day, and two or three filling but healthy snacks that you always have in your bag or on your desk in case pangs/cravings/both (!) strike. Otherwise, don't eat between meals.

Make the most of your new, healthier lungs by doing more sport to burn off any extra calories.